Nairobi Girls Chorale from Kenya visit Chicago to support their dreams using music as a tool
By Hannah Gebresilassie “I call it the trip of God,” says David A. Isindu, founder and director of Nairobi Girls Chorale. A group of 17 girls from Nairobi, Kenya visit Chicago to challenge stereotypes, gain exposure and raise tuition money. Isindu founded the Nairobi Girls Chorale in 2008 to empower young women in Africa. “I […]
Ethiopians celebrate Fasika (Easter) in Chicago following 55-day fast
By Hannah Gebresilassie Hundreds of Ethiopians came together at Debre Tsion Medhanealem Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahido Church in Chicago to celebrate Fasika, or Easter, on May 1. The 6-hour service includes individual and community prayers led by Father Michael during worship. From Good Friday to Easter Sunday, priests and some church members don’t eat anything to show […]
Chicago Ethiopian leaders question world’s silence over devastating drought in homeland
By Hannah Gebresilassie Ten million people in Ethiopia are struggling to survive, let alone find a decent meal to eat. The country is facing its worst drought since the eighties, while political tension continues to erupt as ethnic groups clash. It’s been just ten days since South Sudanese gunmen were blamed for killing 200 people […]
Ethiopians find a home — and sometimes a hand — away from home in South Africa
By Hannah Gebresilassie “Sami, Sami!” two Ethiopian beggars shouted with their hands held out on a misty afternoon in Little Addis, an Ethiopian district on Jeppe Street in downtown Johannesburg. Sami Shiferaw stopped, pulled about 50 rand ($3) from his pocket and handed it to the men: “They’re our friends,” Shiferaw said. “I have to.” […]
Buna: The Art of Making Ethiopian Coffee
By Hannah Gebresilassie and Vishakha Darbha Most college students use coffee to survive long nights and tedious assignments, but in Ethiopia and Eritrea, coffee means much more than that. Ethiopia, globally known as the birthplace of coffee, is famous for “buna,” a coffee-making ceremony that involves roasting, grinding and brewing beans while partaking in a […]
